The present invention relates generally to audio mixers, and more particularly to a technique for setting parameters in an audio mixer.
As well known, the audio mixers are mixing apparatus in which a plurality of audio signals allocated to a plurality of predetermined input channels are sent, at channel-specific output levels, from the individual input channels to mixing buses so that the audio signals are mixed, via the mixing buses, at mixing ratios corresponding to the output levels of the individual input channels. Among the conventionally-known digital mixers is one marketed by the assignee of the instant application under the trade name “M7CL”. On an operation panel of the digital mixer, there are provided channel strips including fader operators for manipulating a tone volume of an input signal per input channel and knob-type operators for setting a parameter per input channel, other operators including switches for performing various other settings, a touch-panel type display via which a user (human operator) of the mixer can enter data by touching a screen of the display, and so on. The user can perform various operations, such as selection of a desired function, using GUI tools (button images etc.) on various screens displayed on the display.
Level with which an audio signal is to be sent from an input channel to a mixing bus is referred to as “send level”. The send level is a parameter that is adjustable independently per input channel. The aforementioned conventionally-known digital mixer (“M7CL”) is equipped with a function which allows a user (or human operator) of the mixer to adjust the send levels of desired input channels by use of the fader operators of the input channels provided on the operation panel. Such a function which allows the user (or human operator) of the mixer to adjust the send levels of desired input channels by use of the corresponding fader operators will hereinafter be referred to as “Sends On Fader function” that will sometimes be abbreviated as “SOF function”. Basically, each screen display on the display comprises a main area for the user to perform various setting and other operations for a currently-selected function, and a function selection area for the user to select a desired function. The function selection area includes a button image for selecting the above-mentioned SOF function; thus, the SOF function can be activated by the user operating the SOF-function selecting button image.
Upon activation of the SOF function, a plurality of mixing bus selection button images, corresponding to the plurality of mixing buses provided in the mixer, are displayed on the function selection area of the displayed screen, and the user can use any one of the mixing bus selection button images to designate a desired one of the mixing buses to which audio signals are to be sent. Once such a mixing bus (i.e., sent-to or destination mixing bus) is designated by the user, a parameter allocated to a physical fader operator of each of the input channels is switched to a send level of an audio signal to be sent from the input channel to the designated mixing bus (i.e., send levels to the designated mixing bus), so that the user can use the fader operator to adjust the send level of the audio signal to be sent to the designated mixing bus (see, for example, http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/pa/japan/mixers/m7cl_ja_om.pdf, which will hereinafter be referred to as “relevant non-patent literature”).
The digital mixer disclosed in the relevant non-patent literature employs a touch-panel type display, via which the user can perform various setting and other operations, function selection/switching, etc. using GUI objects (button images) on displayed screens; thus, the number of physical operators to be installed on the mixer can be significantly reduced. Such reduction in the number of physical operators to be installed accomplishes the advantageous benefits that the manufacturing cost of the mixer can be significantly reduced, the operability of the mixer can be enhanced by virtue of simplification of the operation panel and the display can have a greater size by virtue of an increased display-installing area of the operation panel. The touch-panel type display of a greater size can accomplish the advantageous benefit of an even further enhanced operability on the screen.
Namely, in the digital mixer disclosed in the relevant non-patent literature, as discussed above, the selection of the SOF function and selection of the sent-to or destination mixing bus in the SOF function can be made by the user operating corresponding ones of the button images on the displayed screens. Thus, there are provided no physical buttons (or switches) for selecting the SOF function and desired mixing bus.
However, because touch-panel type displays are expensive, such touch-panel type displays generally are not employed in digital mixers of a relatively inexpensive model of which manufacturing cost should be minimized. In digital mixers of a relatively inexpensive model it is desirable that the number of operators on the operation panel too be minimized in order to minimize the manufacturing cost. In a case where the SOF function is to be implemented in such an inexpensive model, various setting and other operation function selection/switching, etc. can be performed using GUI objects (button images) on displayed screens. In this case, it is necessary that a cursor (or pointer) for designating any desired GUI object on a displayed screen be moved by use of a physical cursor key, mouse operator or the like and then confirmation or decision operation be performed on the GUI object designated by the cursor (or pointer).
However, the operation for moving the cursor over the multiplicity of GUI objects on the displayed screen to select a desired function (SOF function) and deciding the selection of the desired function tends to be cumbersome and complicated and would require a great amount of time and labor. Because the SOF function is a frequently-used function, it is desirable that operation pertaining to the SOF function be as simple as possible and be capable of being performed as promptly as possible.